Sulfosuccinate, degradation

ProkvovaM., J. Augustin, and A. Vrbanova (1997). Enrichment, isolation and characterization of dialkyl sulfosuccinate degrading bacteria Comamonas terrigena N3H and Comamonas terrigena NIC. Folia Microbiologica 42 635-639. 

Concerning the environmental behavior of a disodium alkyl sulfosuccinate, biodegradation in the presence of an algal species is described [113]. According to this paper, the degradation is 90% after 7 days if Spirogyra sp. is present. Alkylbenzenesulfonates are less degraded under the same conditions. 

Organic acids are normally stable to oxidation, but laboratory and pilot plant results (18) have shown that adipic acid oxidizes in conjugation with sulfite oxidation in the scrubber. This paper reports oxidative degradation rate of adipic acid as a function of pH and Mn concentration (19). Results are also presented on sulfopropionic, sulfosuccinic, succinic, hydroxypropionic, and hydroxyacetic acids (20). 

Sulfo and hydroxy carboxylic acids are attractive as buffer additives because the additional hydrophilic groups make both the buffer and its degradation products nonvolatile in aqueous solution. Keller (21) patented the use of sulfosuccinic acid in a flue gas desulfurization process using H2S regeneration. 

Formic and acetic acids are most attractive, but would probably be volatile under scrubber conditions (8). Succinic and lactic acids would not be cost-effective if purchased at market price. Fumaric acid is more subject to oxidative degradation. Phthalic and Benzoic acids may give undesirable aromatic degradation products. Therefore, the most useful buffers appear to be hydroxypropionic, sulfosuccinic, fumaric, sulfopropionic, adipic, and hydroxyacetic. 

Table VI summarizes the results of experiments with adipic, sulfosuccinic, sulfopropionic, succinic, glycolic and hydroxy-propionic acids. The results are reported as the sulfite oxidation rate (M/hr) and the degradation rate constant, kd(M ). Analytical accuracy generally allowed determination of kd within -0.1 M l. In experiments with little or no sulfite oxidation, (All, HP3, HP5, HA1, HA3, HA4), there was no measurable degradation of the carboxylic acid. Experiments with 5, 10, and 20 mM adipic acid (A21, A14, A18, A15, A23) showed that the degradation reaction is first order in the carboxylic acid concentration, as expected and modelled by kd-...

Complete carbon material balances were not obtained on any of the degraded solutions. Valeric and glutaric acids were identified as degradation products of adipic acid, but account for less than 20% of the adipic acid loss. Sulfopropionic acid was identified as a degradation product of sulfosuccinic acid, but accounts for less than 10% of the total degradation. 

Sulfosuccinic and sulfopropionic acids are economically attractive when synthesized in situ or offsite from maleic anhydride or acrylic acid. Both are subject to oxidation, but should give nonvolatile degradation products. Synthesis of sulfopropionic acid can give undesirable polyacrylic acid impurities. 

Reliable mass spectral data (4) could not be obtained for dloctyl sodium sulfosuccinate as the spectrum changes with temperature, indicating thermal degradation. 

C. terrigena N3H was able to degrade dialkyl sulfosuccinates with alkyl chains of medium lenght (C4-Cg), while weak or no biodegradation activity of the strain towards ASS with longer alkyl chains was observed. 

Alcaligenes faecalis 2A was found to be the best degrader of both linear and branched monoalkyl sulfosuccinates. 

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